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Don't spoil your appetite on the weekend of March 15 and 16!

That's when the West of Western Culinary Festival will bring a jaw-dropping lineup of some of Arizona's most high-profile chefs into one central location for guests to sip wine, sample delicious foods, and socialize all afternoon. Considering all the great dishes at last year's festival, you'd better start making room in your stomach right now.

This is West of Western's fourth annual event, and it's already gained a reputation as a major attraction for the Phoenix foodie community. The caliber of the chefs and the variety of the restaurants represented, the creativity of their lavish displays, and the quality of the wine tasting -- which will feature more than 70 wines from around the world -- is too impressive to pass up.

In the past, the festival was held completely outdoors, but this year, the Phoenix Art Museum will be the host and co-presenter. What that amounts to is the luxury of indoor accomodations for the wine tasting -- to be held in the museum's Great Hall -- as well as for a variety of programming. There will be lectures (including a presentation by Tracie Ryder and Carole Topalian, co-founders of Edible Communities), chef demonstrations, kids' activities, and docent-lead museum tours. As an added bonus, the ticket price includes general admission to the museum.

There will also be a Desert Diversity Expo, and two stages of live music.

Everything happens between noon and 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 15, and Sunday, March 16. Advance tickets -- which are probably a very good idea -- are $75 (adult full day, wine and food pass), $67 (adult full day, food only pass), and $22 (full day pass for ages 9 -15). Children under 9 will get free admission with an adult.

Now check out this list of participating chefs (confirmed as of yesterday) and tell me if you aren't already feeling a little hungry:

Brian Archibald, Tuscany, JW Marriott Desert Ridge
Paul "P.T." Barnum, 56 East & 98 South
Justin Beckett, Canal
Frank Belosic, The Terrace, The Phoenician
Matt Carter, Zinc Bistro
Paul Carter, The Phoenician
MJ Coe, MJ Bread
Tammie Coe, Tammie Coe Cakes
Jackie Cueto, Ninetta's Passion Bistro
Payton Curry, Digestif Urban Enoteca
Tracy Dempsey, Confection
Ron Dimas, The Estate House
Carolyn Ellis, Arcadia Farms
Silvana Salcido Esparza, Barrio Café
Patrick Fegan, Olive & Ivy
Ivan Flowers, Gallery on Oak Creek, Amara Resort & Spa
Patrick Gaudet, Arizona Kitchen, Wigwam Resort & Golf Club
Lionel Geuskins, Trente-Cinq 35
Lisa Giungo, Lisa G Cafe Wine Bar
Tony Hamati, Bravo Bistro
Olashawn Hasadinratana, Wild Thaiger
Marc Hennessy, Meritage, JW Marriott Desert Ridge
Vinny De John, Whole Foods Market Scottsdale
Deborah Knight, Mosaic
Greg LaPrad, Quiessence
Danielle Librera, The Sweet Pea
Wendy Little, The Latilla, The Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa
Ehren Litzenberger, Taggia, FireSky Resort
Aaron May, Sol y Sombra Spanish Kitchen & Lounge
Mel Mecinas, Talavera, Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale
Matthew McLinn, Méthode Bistro
Marty Murray, Whole Foods Market Paradise Valley
Sergio Ochoa, Phoenix Art Museum Café
Michael O'Dowd, Kai, Sheraton Wild Horse Pass
Mary Paganelli, TOCA Food Systems
Anthony Patafio, Four Seasons Resort, Scottsdale
Angelo Petrilli, Javino's
Michel Pieton, The Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa
Alicia Popple, del Piero, Queen Creek Olive Mill
James Porter, Tapino Kitchen
Daniel Roman, C4, The Clarendon Hotel
Roberto Sanchez, Windows on the Green, The Phoenician
Scott Simpson, JW Marriott Desert Ridge
Michael Stebner, The Greene House
Jack Strong, Kai, Sheraton Wild Horse Pass
Hiro Tanaguchi, Kizake
Scott Tompkins, Skye Fine Dining
Claudio Urciuoli, Different Pointe of View
Chad Withycombe, Mucho Gusto
Jeffery Yankellow, Simply Bread
Kurt Zuger, Wigwam Resort & Golf Club

Business partners Jason Slocum and Robert Burghart have teamed up with executive chef Justin Chacon for a new dining concept that's set to open in Scottsdale next Friday, March 7: Lyte Lounge & Bistro.

You might remember Chacon from his Best of Phoenix-winning restaurant in Cave Creek, Justin's Ragin' Cajun Cuisine, which sadly disappeared from the scene a few years ago. Since then, Chacon's been an executive chef at Blue Wasabi and Hammerhead Jack's, and most recently, worked on the launch of Sutra Sushi.

Chacon's light, healthful menu is geared to the busy night owl who's craving fuel to dance 'til dawn. That means smaller, tapas-sized portions, no wheat or gluten, and lots of raw-veggie ingredients. Selections include green curry gumbo, grilled turkey with mushroom ratatouille and veggie puree, shrimp with mango jicama slaw, and seared lobster tail with yam bisque and rice cakes.

Besides the food, there will be nightly DJ and live music performances as well.

Lyte Lounge is located at 7419 E. Indian Plaza Drive in Scottsdale, in the space that previously housed Blue Note Cellars. Call 480-423-2027 for more information.

If you're gonna strike a pose, it'll more likely be in Scottsdale, not Surprise.

But hey, Scottsdale can't have all the style. Vogue Bistro and Bar, a new chef-owned eatery that debuts soon, will give West Siders a new dining destination.

Chef-owner Aurore de Beauduy, the former executive chef at the Silverleaf Country Club in Scottsdale's DC Ranch, began her career in France, and was educated at Le Cordon Bleu. She's planning a French-influenced American menu, and will serve lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch.

Along with casual bites like panini, burgers, and salads, look for daily bistro specials such as seared pacific cod with sweet potato souffle, lemon caper infusion, micro celery, and a drizzle of agrumato olive oil, and Muscovy duck served two ways (seared breast and braised leg confit) with root vegetables and fig emulsion.

In the way of drinks, expect a variety of international wines, craft beers, "designer" martinis, and a bourbon bar.

Vogue Bistro, located in Marley Park Plaza at15411 West Waddell Road in Surprise, will have its soft opening sometime next week, and its official grand opening on March 10; call 623-544-9109 for further details.

These days, Scottsdale has no shortage of Asian restaurants, but back when Roy's Scottsdale opened, it wasn't nearly as ubiquitous.

Now the place is a local institution, and believe it or not, it's celebrating its tenth anniversary. Founder and James Beard award-winning chef Roy Yamaguchi will be in town tomorrow, February 28, joining a few local chefs to create a special celebratory dinner.

Check out the menu:

-- Spicy barbecued grilled Mexican prawns (chef Steve Butler, Fleming's Scottsdale)
-- Pan-seared Hawaiian moi (chef Mako Segawa, Roy's Desert Ridge)
-- Scallops with pork belly and sobresada sauce (Aaron May, Sol y Sombra)
-- Olive-oil-poached curried culotte steak (chef Roy Yamaguchi)
-- Menage a trois of chocolate (chef Erin Goldman, Roy's Scottsdale)

Wines from Robert Hall will be paired with each course. Dinner is $90 per person, plus tax and tip, and reservations are required. Call 480-905-1155 for info. Roy's is located at 7001 N. Scottsdale Road.

The first time I visited Radio Milano, the newest eatery from the folks behind La Grande Orange and Postino (across the street), it struck me as a great place for cocktails and nibbles -- partly because you had to order a lot of small plates to assemble a filling meal. Kids were nowhere to be found.

Well, now Radio Milano's making room for the junior set. The restaurant recently made some changes to the menu, most notably bigger portions. They've added booths to accomodate large parties, and get this -- kids eat for free every night before 7 p.m. (Radio Milano is open from 5 to 11 p.m., Monday through Saturday.)

I just hope those bartenders know how to mix a mean Shirley Temple.

Following in the footsteps of Oprah, Martha Stewart just featured Phoenix pizza guru Chris Bianco, who shared his recipe for lemon foccacia. I doubt my ancient oven can approximate anything out of Chris' wood-fired one, but it'll be fun to try.

Next up on my DVR scheduled recordings is the new episode of Iron Chef (airing at 11 p.m. this Sunday), featuring chef Lee Hillson of T. Cook's battling chef Cat Cora. Hillson is the third local chef to appear on the show in the last year; Mark Tarbell (Tarbell's) and Beau MacMillan (Elements) have also been featured.

I love the heck out of Iron Chef -- I've been watching it since the original Japanese version only appeared with subtitles (yay!) -- but I've always wondered about the mirrors, lights, and smoke of it all. Well, finally somebody went behind the scenes to give the real skinny on the Kitchen Stadium drama. Food critic Robert Sietsema's piece "Iron Chef Boyardee" appeared in the Village Voice last week, and it's such a fun read. Yeah, it cuts through the TV magic, but the production details are fascinating -- especially if you saw the kanpachi-themed episode he writes about.

Bryan Chittenden and Greg Donnally, the guys behind two of Scottsdale's most pop-tastic hangouts -- Stingray Sushi and Drift Polynesian Restaurant -- are opening a new place tomorrow night, and it just screams Japanophile.

It's called Geisha A Go Go, and I can't wait to go-go get my drink on with some shochu cocktails, then go be a spazz with some of my nearest and dearest in a private karaoke room.

You didn't think the Japanese actually sing "Welcome to the Jungle" in front of a room full of strangers, did you? Hell no. They're all about discretion, and that means being a rock 'n' roll freak behind closed doors, then acting like nothing happened the next day. Thank god somebody finally brought the concept to Arizona.

(They're also promising pachinko machines, loud dance-rock, and high-tech Japanese toilets. I'm not sure if they're the kind that wash and air-dry your bottom, but hopefully they'll at least have the automatic seat warmer...)

Anyway, the food -- you wanted to know about that, right? Chef Patrick Boll's menu looks pretty hearty, from pork gyoza and braised duck korokke with cherry-garlic soy sauce to wok-style whole fish and various stir-fries. There are several noodle dishes, as well as plenty of sizzle-it-yourself hot rock dishes, including wagyu and kurobuta.

Geisha A Go Go is located at 7150 E. 6th Ave. in Scottsdale. Call 480-699-0055 for details.

Binkley's Restaurant in Cave Creek is one of this area's hottest culinary tickets, and it's no wonder -- chef-owner Kevin Binkley crafts his ever-evolving menu with obsessively sourced top ingredients, graces customers with a flurry of exquisite amuses-bouches between courses, and oversees a doting, well-trained staff.

Indeed, Binkley's is the height of Arizona's destination dining -- the James Beard Foundation recognized as much recently, when it announced that chef Binkley is a nominee for the 2008 Best Chef: Southwest award -- but now hungry devotees can get a bite of Binkley's cooking in a more casual, affordable environment: Cafe Bink, which just opened last night.

With the exception of a fois gras terrine with brioche, orange marmalade, and watercress, which will run you $24, everything else on the menu is under $20. Highlights include housemade corned beef with braised cabbage, apple, carrot, and whole grain mustard sauce, and quiche with bacon, blue cheese, and spinach.

For now, the restaurant, located at 36899 N. Tom Darlington Drive in Carefree, opens at 5 p.m. daily for dinner (closed Mondays); lunch service is expected to begin the first week in March. Reservations are currently unavailable; call 480-488-9796 for more information.

I just got a spontaneous protein craving courtesy of chef Aaron May, who confirmed the delicious rumor that he's collaborating with chef Robert McGrath on a new barbecue concept. They're working on securing a location as we speak.

Chalk it up to one more exciting project from May, who seems to cook up restaurant ideas almost as often as he does tapas at the fabulous Sol y Sombra. Sure, he's been burning the candle at both ends since opening Overeasy, the sunny little 40th Street breakfast nook, nearly two months ago, but it's worth it -- business is good so far, he says.

Up next, probably by early May, look for Autostrada, a casual Italian joint offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner at DC Ranch in North Scottsdale. Expect authentic antipasti, contorni, panini, and a good coffee service, with an emphasis on premium ingredients. If you're looking for meatball sliders or fried mozzarella sticks, fuggeddaboudit.

And later this year -- as in, the timing's totally up in the air -- May plans to open Leche, featuring something truly novel for this area: Basque cuisine. The space that will house the restaurant -- a former flower shop -- is about a hundred years old, and as you'd expect from an adaptive reuse project, there are still some hurdles. When it's finished, though, I'm sure it will add to the character of downtown Scottsdale.

May promises to keep us posted...

Hell, it's already last week's news, but last week I was among the legions of the severely flu-stricken (ack!), so here's the belated skinny on the latest high-profile restaurant opening:

Chef Payton Curry is already cooking up a storm at Digestif, a new "Cal-Ital" eatery at Scottsdale's SouthBridge that comes to us courtesy of restaurateur Peter Kasperski, he of Cowboy Ciao/Kazimierz/Sea Saw fame. (That empire's right across Stetson Drive.)

True to the name, the drink menu features lots of interesting, esoteric liqueurs whose provenance dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries. California and Italian wines loom large, along with a dozen intriguing beers and several quirky cocktails -- how about a Filthy Martini, with Kalamata olive juice, or a Corpse Reviver (what I need), made with Hendricks gin, Cointreau, Lillet, and Lucid Absinthe?

Along with an all-day menu of cheeses, charcuterie, frites and other snacky-snacks, the dinner offerings include daily-made pastas, "knife & fork bruschettas," and entrees such as seared sea scallops with pureed and roasted cauliflower, golden raisins, pine nuts, and saba, and crispy skin duck breast with potato gratin, turnips, and lingonberry/game jus. They just started serving lunch yesterday, but I haven't seen that menu yet.

And oh, the desserts. I think I could probably go to Digestif just for dessert, since Tracy Dempsey's the pastry chef. Sign me up for vanilla bean-chevre panna cotta, tiramisu, affogato, Queen Creek Olive Mill olive oil cake with warm berry-pepper sauce, roseberry sorbet, and rose sabayon, or lemon-polenta crostata.

I'm also way curious about Digestif's sixties-inspired "beatnik basement decor" -- apparently there are two listening stations under construction, where customers can get an earful of indie and local music. I can't help but wonder if Kimber Lanning from Stinkweeds has anything to do with this -- I spied her chatting with Kasperski over some deviled eggs at The Roosevelt several months ago, and at that time was crossing my fingers that the Modified Arts mama was convincing Kasperski to rock some kind of groovy restaurant downtown. Ah, maybe someday...

Chefs and samurai have something in common: their blades.

Samurai might have lost their right to carry swords in the mid-19th century, but that doesn't mean that the sword-making tradition disappeared in Japan. In the case of the Kikuichi swordsmiths, who used to produce swords for the Emperor, their craft evolved into knife-making. Today, the 700-year-old Kikuichi Cutlery still produces both traditional Japanese knives and Western-style knives.

A Kikuichi represenative, Mr. Hiro Hirano, will be at the Phoenix Knife House this Sunday, from 3:30 to 5 p.m., to display a variety of cutlery, from the Honyaki Yanagi (forged with the same techniques as a samurai sword) to the Blue Damascus. The shop will be offering a ten-percent discount on Kikuichi orders and purchases that day. Call 480-946-2758 for info; Phoenix Knife House is located at 4110 N Goldwater Blvd, Suite 209 (on the second floor), in Scottsdale.

What, you didn't make Valentine's Day dinner reservations yet? Me neither. We'd both better get crack-a-lackin', because there's only a week left. Here's the lowdown on several restaurants featuring special multi-course meals...

Canal Restaurant: Four-course dinner, $75 per person ($105 with wine pairings). Highlights: Chicken samosas; gorgonzola stuffed filet mignon; silken chocolate and passion fruit cheesecake. Call 480-949-9000 for reservations.

Asia de Cuba at Mondrian Scottsdale: Four-course dinner, $75 per person. Highlights: Sautéed diver sea scallops with sweet and sour plantains and habanero corn crema; duck and soba noodle salad with charred pineapple and Thai peanut dressing; wood-roasted rack of lamb with mint and chile-glazed white sweet potatoes with papaya chutney. Call 480-308-1131 for reservations.

Bloom: Prix-fixe dinner, $50 per person or $100 per couple. Highlights: Maine lobster soup; brown sugar short ribs; key lime tart. Call 480-922-5666 for reservations.

NoRTH: Prix-fixe dinner, $50 per person or $100 per couple. Highlights: Wild mushroom pizza; white prawns with parmesan gnocchi; Nutella mousse cake. For reservations at the Scottsdale location, call 480-948-2055, or for reservations at NoRTH Glendale, call 623-537-4500.

The Greene House: Prix-fixe dinner, $60 per person or $120 per couple. Highlights: Parmigiano and mascarpone ravioli; wild Alaskan Copper River salmon; dessert trio of butterscotch pudding, chocolate tart and blood orange sherbet. Call 480-889-9494 for reservations.

Olive & Ivy: Prix-fixe dinner, $60 per person or $120 per couple. Highlights: Sweet potato tortelli, painted lamb shank; “Passionate Affair” dessert, with chocolate and raspberry passion fruit mousse, strawberry passion fruit sorbet, and passion fruit jellies.
Call 480-751-2200 for reservations.

Ristorante Tuscany at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa: Five-course chocolate-themed dinner, $85 per person. Highlights: Duck prosciutto with crispy chocolate-gorganzola truffle; chocolate "chantilly" of Dungeness crab-andouille sausage; Absolut white chocolate-strawberry parfait and passion fruit heart lollipop. Call 480-293-3988 for reservations.

Meritage Steakhouse at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa: Prix- fixe dinner, $75 per person. Highlights: Lily petal and hearty greens salad; beef tenderloin for two with horseradish potato soufflé and baby vegetables with white truffle béarnaise; dark chocolate milkshake for two. Call 480-293-3988 for reservations.

Yeah, yeah, I've blogged plenty about stuff that's in the works for the local dining scene, but unfortunately I can't always be the bearer of good news. Today's latest tidbit is a total downer: Union Wine Bar & Grill, one of 2007's most-anticipated new restaurants, has closed its doors for good. Saturday was its last night in business.

According to owner Tom Kaufman, who opened Union last fall with Rancho Pinot chef Chrysa Robertson, the economy is partially to blame.

"Whenever there's an economic downturn like this, people narrow down their list of restaurants. They want familiarity," he said.

Now that the Super Bowl's behind us, I wouldn't be surprised if we start hearing about more local restaurant closings.

While Union's mellow vibe was a refreshing alternative to the pervading scenestery-ness of Old Town Scottsdale, for some reason, the restaurant "just didn't resonate with people," Kaufman added. "It's a different culture down there."

For now, Kaufman is focusing on his bustling new pizzeria, Humble Pie, located at the Hilton Village.

"People have really responded to it," he said.

As for the cool old building that housed Union, Kaufman wouldn't rule out putting another restaurant of his own there in the future. But what would be even better would be if an ambitious creative type wanted to take over the space.

"I would love to find a young chef to work out a deal," he said. "Like, if a young Chrysa Robertson came along . . ."

Unless you attended the Taste of the NFL culinary event last weekend, or unless you're a member of the ritzy Golf Club Scottsdale, you probably haven't had a taste of chef Eddie Matney's cooking lately. There's nothing wrong with big-ticket parties and private clubs, but let's face it -- Matney's fanbase goes well beyond an elite few.

Now there's word that Matney will be back on the local restaurant scene -- and soon. His new venture, Eddie's House, has a target opening date of mid-March, and will be located at the northwest corner of Indian School and Marshall Way in Scottsdale.

There's no menu yet, but we're promised a mix of Matney's signature Mediterranean-inspired tastes along with a changing array of seasonal dishes. A number of items will be available both as small plates and as full-sized entrees.

In keeping with the domestic theme, Eddie's House will have a comfy atmosphere reminiscent of a living room, with the man himself at the helm of the chef's counter in front of the exhibition kitchen. On the outside patio, guests will be able to make their own s'mores by the fireplace and watch movies projected onto a big screen.

For a preview of the menu offerings, submit your email address at the Eddie's House website and check your inbox every week for a different featured recipe.

Alto, at the Hyatt Regency, is one of many new high-end eateries on the local foodie radar

If you love going to restaurants, this is a really good time to be hungry. The new year has already brought a flurry of new places to eat, drink, and be merry, and there's more to come.

Talavera, which replaces Acacia as the Four Seasons' fine dining spot, opened earlier this week, along with the resort's new watering hole, Onyx Bar & Lounge.

Executive chef Mel Mecinas' menu looks intriguing. There's a lot of seafood in the appetizer menu, from Maine lobster parfait with sweet corn panna cotta and American caviar, to tempura king crab with beef roulade, wasabi root (yum) and lemon confit.

And -- burrata alert! -- one of the salads includes the super-creamy, super-trendy cheese with warm tomato, eggplant, olives, and aged balsamic. I'm sure we have Taggia to thank for the fledgling local burrata frenzy; recently I've noticed it at Humble Pie (served on pizza, with shrimp and lemon zest) and Furio (melted atop asparagus on bruschetta) as well. The upstairs lounge at soon-to-open Estate House (keep reading) will include burrata with cold-pressed olive oil and green olive tapenade in its artisan cheese selection.

Entrees at Talavera include several steak selections, and the side dishes aren't restricted to the predictable. Sure, the prime bone-in ribeye comes with Yukon potato and sweet onions, but the Australian Wagyu skirt steak is paired with Okinawan sweet potato and candied ginger, while the Arizona grass-fed tenderloin is accompanied by chorizo bread pudding. I also think it's interesting that the steaks come with a choice of butter: blue cheese, truffle, lobster, garlic, and molé.

Right now, I'm dreaming of the day that molé butter will catch on and I can buy it at Trader Joes...

Anyway, Ling & Louie's Asian Bar & Grill also opened its doors this week, at 9397 East Shea in Scottsdale. It's the latest concept from Randy Schoch, the creator of Thaifoon. The restaurant first debuted in Denver, and more outposts are on the way, including one inside the new Wild Horse Pass Casino, scheduled to open next year.

The menu gives nods to Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai cuisine, with plenty of good ol' American comfort food touches. Think meatloaf with Asian gravy (what's that, I wonder?) and wasabi mashed potatoes, or Kobe beef sliders with garlic parmesan fries, as well as Pad Thai, Hong Kong seafood hot pot, and orange peel chicken.

Two more restaurants recently debuted at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale in the spaces that formerly housed Squash Blossom and Ristorante Sandolo: SWB and Alto.

SWB is subtitled "a southwest bistro," and that fits the atmosphere as well as the casual regional cuisine, which includes smoked pork, onion and mushroom tamales, and roasted mushroom salad with prickly pear vinaigrette. Inside, there's a fireplace in the dining room and an open kitchen with three wood-burning ovens. Out on the terrace, you can get cozy by the fire pits and stare at the McDowell Mountains in the distance.

Meanwhile, Alto is all about Italian classics: vitello tonnato, fritto misto, penne carbonara, bistecca alla Fiorentina, and so on. And, just like at Ristorante Sandolo, you still get a free gondola ride with your dinner. Who needs Vegas?

Coming up a week from today, on February 8, Fred Unger's third restaurant is scheduled to open at high-profile SouthBridge: The Estate House.

Canal is pretty damn glam, but The Estate House sounds downright swanky, with white linen tablecloths and a champagne bar. The setting is supposed to evoke a grand mansion, with multiple dining rooms and terraces on different levels.

Executive chef Ron Dimas calls his culinary creations "French-inspired wine country cuisine," and although the menu isn't finalized yet, here's a taste of the most recent draft. To start, how about seared ahi and pickled Beech mushrooms with white asparagus, radishes, and almond oil, or a Belgian endive salad with creme fraiche dressing, fois gras toasts, and quince jelly?

A good friend -- who's mentioned duck eggs more than once recently -- comes to mind as I look at the main dishes; there's truffled linguini carbonara with guanciale (a kind of pork cheek bacon celebrated by Batali), duck egg, and Parmigiano Reggiano that reminds me of him. Other options include La Belle Magret duck breast and leg sausage with pear, chanterelles, and salsify puree, and braised pork osso buco with dried fig and onion polenta, roasted brussels sprouts, and chestnuts.

As I mentioned earlier, the upstairs lounge at The Estate House will feature cheeses, along with other small plates like seared Nantucket Bay scallops, spiced chicken confit, and -- listen to this -- seckel pear and mascarpone cheesecake with spiced tawny port sauce. (I could go for a bite of that cheesecake right this second!) The champagne bar nibbles are pretty similar to the lounge menu, although if you want caviar or oysters on the half-shell, you'll have to head to the former.

Two-time James Beard award-winning chef Michael Mina will launch a new Bourbon Steak at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess on February 11, and I wouldn't be surprised if the place is already booked for Valentine's Day.

Like at his other restaurants, including the successful Stripsteak in Las Vegas, Mina's meat-centric menu will focus on prime steaks that are poached before being mesquite-grilled, as well as slow-poached meats and seafood. The decadence extends to small plates as well, from duck fat fries to a casserole of hearts of palm, blue cheese, and black truffle.

Face it. You're gonna blow your diet -- big time -- at Bourbon Steak, and you're gonna love every minute of it.

A week after that opening, London's Roka Akor is scheduled to open its doors to the public, on February 18. I've blogged about this stylish Japanese robatayaki spot before, so take a look at my previous post for an idea of what to expect.

Whew, that's quite an exhaustive list we've got, and there's plenty more coming down the pike. Stay tuned, and don't spoil your appetite...